Admired from Afar
by AshleyMocha12
Summary: Katniss catches sight of Peeta painting a portrait through their bedroom windows, and grows curious. After making her way over to his house and investigating, what will her reaction be to the mysterious painting?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Here is yet another Hunger Games one-shot that has been on my mind for awhile. I just _really _enjoy writing about Peeta and Katniss, so I hope you guys enjoy! (:**

Katniss trudged into her bedroom after a long day of hunting with Gale. It was Sunday night, and the only day of the week that she had a chance to see her best friend. That was solemnly the reason why Katniss' mother didn't mind when Katniss came crawling back into the house in the wee hours of the night.

The sky was a dark shade of purple as the bright moon lit up the surface. Katniss' curtains were open, so she could see the faint flint of rise reflecting through her window. She loved when the moon shone brightly like this.

Her body was exhausted; she just wanted to fall into a warm bubble bath and then hide away from the world in her sheets, falling into a deep sleep. Hopefully, she'd even be void of any hectic nightmares. Most likely, the odds _wouldn't _be in her favor.

She absentmindedly paced her room, her eyes lingering toward the window. From across the lawn, she could clearly see the side of Peeta's house. She saw something that she hadn't noticed since she had moved into the Victor's Village. Peeta's bedroom window was right across from hers.

His curtains were open, and his desk lamp was on, so Katniss could faintly see his body hovering over a wooden canvass. He was working diligently on a painting of some sort, but Katniss couldn't see what the painting was.

She inched closer to the window and crouched down, suddenly feeling as if she were violating his privacy by looking at him. She didn't know how awkward she would feel if he noticed her just freely staring at him through her window. The feeling was kind of enchanting, though. She never got the chance to see Peeta while he was working on some of his famous paintings, and it amused her to see how hardly focused his features were. The way his ash blonde hair fell over his forehead, adding effect to his squinted eyes that were so focused on the master piece he was unfolding. The way his slightly chapped lips were parted in concentration, his brow furrowed. It surprised Katniss that she could make all of this out from yards away; _Maybe the glass cleaners should be tipped _she thought playfully.

Without warning, Peeta's head snapped toward Katniss' window. Out of hesitation, Katniss ducked. Her pulse had picked up, and she hoped that she had not been caught. After seconds of huddling down on the ground, she inched her head up, chancing her luck. Much to her dismay, he had risen from his chair and was now leaning over the edge of his window, lifting it up. Katniss exposed herself fully, smiling embarrassingly at him. He had a playful grin on his face as he motioned for her to open her window. She obliged, easily sliding the thick glass up.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a neighborhood watch!" Peeta joked, shouting loud enough so that Katniss could hear him. Katniss could feel the heat behind her ears and she knew that they were probably beet red.

"Maybe you shouldn't keep your curtains wide open next time!" Katniss retorted, resting her elbows on the window pane. He shook his head as the grin remained on his face.

"Yours were open for hours," he responded, giving her a dominant smirk.

"_Now _look who's the neighborhood watch," she joked, trying her hardest to keep the serious edge to her tone. Peeta shrugged and mirrored her action of relaxing his elbows on the window pane. He looked up at the glistening moon, the brightness reflecting through his blue orbs. It fascinated Katniss at the detail that she seemed to notice about the boy that night.

"What a beautiful night," he said after a minute. His voice was so calm that Katniss could barely hear the words that he was saying. She nodded in agreement and allowed her eyes to linger on the canvass behind him. He tore his eyes away from the moon and looked back over at Katniss.

"What are you painting?" she asked curiously. Peeta hesitated, his face falling a bit. If she were correct, she could make out the slight shade of pink that lit up his face.

"Oh...uh... it's nothing, really," he muttered, returning his eyes on anywhere but Katniss. She narrowed her eyes and stood upright.

"Why won't you tell me what you're painting?" she asked confusedly, giving him the eye. He laughed uneasily and shook his head.

"It's not that big of a deal," he responded, shrugging once again. She sucked her teeth and closed her window, leaving her curtains open. She wanted Peeta to see what her next move was. He noticed that she was leaving the room, and his eyes widened. What on _Earth _did she have in mind?

Katniss was now determined to see what Peeta was painting, and she wanted to know why he was being so hesitant to tell her. The possibilities of what the baker could have been painting were swarming her mind. She strutted quietly down the stairs, her eyes fixed on her front door. She opened it swiftly and bolted out of the house, briefly forgetting about the woodsy sent that she carried.

Once she had made it halfway toward Peeta's back door, she paused. _His mother._ She was a human witch. If she knew that Katniss was plotting on her visiting her son's bedroom, all hell would break loose. Before Katniss could think about it any further, the door swung open. Thankfully, it was Peeta who opened it. He folded his arms across his chest and sighed heavily.

"How did I know you'd be standing there?" he asked. She gave him a cocky smirk and drifted past him, his eyes widening a bit. She checked thoroughly to make sure that the coast was clear before hopping up the staircase that was only a short distance away. He followed after her, his heavy feet clunking up the stairs. She winced as she got up the stairs, staring around at the numerous doors.

A door was cracked slightly, and she automatically assumed it to be Peeta's. She burst through the door, relieved to see the wide opened window and the mahogany desk with the lamp accelerating low lighting around the room. Peeta hurried behind her, his breaths coming out hitched and shallow.

"Now Katniss... before you look at it..." he began, silently cursing himself for not hiding it before he skidded down the stairs.

"It can't be _that _bad," Katniss said, walking over to the canvass that was facing away from her. She used both of her hands to turn it toward her, gasping lightly at what she saw. It was a painting of..._her. _It wasn't just any ordinary painting of her, though. It was a picture of her as a measly 10 year old, her hair down in two perfectly woven braids. Her lips were pierced out naturally, her dark gray eyes appearing radiantly striking on the paper. Her olive skin tone was captured beautifully, and the dark green dress that Peeta had painted had really complimented her brunette hair color. She was completely at loss for words. She didn't know whether to feel elated or frightened at the display; she was a bit overwhelmed. Out of all of the things that Peeta could have painted, he chose to paint her. Katniss couldn't even remember how she looked at that age, and she was surprised that somehow Peeta could.

"Say something," Peeta said, studying her face. She tore her eyes away from the painting and looked into his ocean blue eyes.

"It's... beautiful," she finally said, looking away from him. She tugged at her bottom lip and drifted her eyes back to the painting. For some reason, it sent a warm feeling down her body. She was flattered at the thought of him painting her.

"I hope you aren't freaked out by it. I was just remembering the times in school when... you had your hair in two braids instead of one," he said, repeating the words that he had spoken to her in the cave. She looked down at the braid sitting on her shoulder and fiddled with the end of it. She looked back up at Peeta and nodded slowly.

"That's really nice of you," she whispered. He gave her a small smile and slowly took a seat on his bed. She noticed the flawlessly white T-shirt he wore with some gray sweat pants. He looked as if he had taken a refreshing shower, content and comfortable in his skin. She stood there with dirt stained pants, a sweat covered shirt with her fathers hunting jacket over it, messy hair, and she was sure that her boots were tracking up Peeta's house. She instantly felt insecure and out of place.

"I should leave," she said, making her way toward the door. Peeta shot up and ran after her, grabbing her arm softly. She turned to him and sucked in a breath.

"Don't," he pleaded, giving her a reassuring smile. "I haven't had the chance to show you my other artwork. While you're over here, you might as well see them," he encouraged. She looked down at his hand that was still wrapped around her elbow and sighed in defeat.

"Sure," she said, forcing a genuine smile to him. He pulled his hand away and she almost frowned at the loss of warmth that his arm radiated to her. He walked over to his dresser and carefully pulled out his sketchbook, reclaiming his spot on the bed. He looked up at her and patted the spot next to him.

"But I'm all sweaty..." Katniss said awkwardly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He smirked and shook his head, patting the spot beside him again. Finally, she walked over to where he sat and took a seat beside him. He didn't seem at all bothered by her outdoorsy scent or ragged appearance. He flipped open the book to the first page and a smile spread across Katniss' face. It was a simple picture of a Mockingjay with so much detail that you'd think that there was actually a bird on the paper.

"W-wow, Peeta... this is... this is just..." Katniss was at loss for words. No amount of praise could do this drawing justice. He noticed the expression of awe on her face, and that was enough to give him a feeling of pride. He flipped the page again, and she saw that it was a self portrait of himself. It was in black and white, but it didn't take away any of the specialty of the artwork. It was flawless, just like him.

"This took me a while to do. I'm not exactly good with drawing pictures of myself," he said, giving a slight chuckle at the end.

"Well this is just amazing," she breathed, looking up at him. He smiled warmly and continued to flip the pages. There were numerous pictures of sunsets, Peeta's family, random objects and venues, and even one of a decorative cake that he made. It made Katniss envious of his many talents, and she was happy for him.

By the time they had finished going through most of his pictures, it was darkening rapidly outdoors. The dark clouds had ghosted in front of the moon, and the once beautiful, crystal ball was now a dark gray object in the sky. Katniss sighed heavily and handed the book back to Peeta.

"I should really go. Those pictures were very nice, and the painting... I can't even express how flattered I am," Katniss said softly, giving him a smile. She inched her lips to his tanned cheek and pecked it lightly, his eyes widening in excitement. Even though it was just a tiny kiss, it was a kiss nonetheless. It still made his heart beat a little faster than usual.

"There's more where that came from," he told her, smiling cheekily. If painting pictures of Katniss earned him kisses, he'd paint until his fingers fell off. He could see the scarlet shade covering her cheeks as she eagerly tried to hide her face away from him. This wasn't the hard, fierce, intimidating Katniss that everyone knew. This was a different side of her that only Peeta could seem to bring out, and he liked it that way. It made the wait for her heart all the more easier.

"I hope to see you soon," she whispered, standing to her feet.

"Me too," he responded, mirroring her action. They stood and looked at each other for a while before Katniss cleared her throat.

"Goodnight," she said, walking toward the door.

"No hug?" he asked, faking sadness. She rolled her eyes playfully and walked over to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders. His embrace was tight, but soothing at the same time. His arms were the only ones that were really familiar to her. They were there to cradle her during those nights in the cave, and gave her a sense of safety. She allowed herself to get lost in the feel of his softness, allowing the hug to last longer than she'd expected. He smirked as his hands slid down her back, resting at her hips.

"You should stop by for a cookie tomorrow," he mumbled into her hair, closing his eyes.

"What kind of cookie?" Katniss wondered, her lips pressed against his neck.

"You'll find out if you come over," he laughed, absentmindedly tightening his grip on her. He never wanted the hug to end. She smiled timidly and awkwardly pulled away, staring up at him with sincere eyes.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow," she told him, reclaiming her spot by the door. She gave him one last wave before opening the door and closing it quietly after her. He couldn't help the wide grin that was planted on his face as he anxiously awaited Katniss' visit tomorrow.

**Author's Note: Alright, so this was originally supposed to be a one-shot but I'm CONSIDERING doing one more chapter. That depends if I get enough reviews, so let me know what you guys think! Thanks! (: **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: It's been a while since I updated, but school has started back and it might be like this for a while with my other stories while I adjust, so sorry in advance! By the way, this is the last chapter of this little two shot so I hope you enjoy it! (:**

Katniss tossed and turned through the night, her mind refusing to settle down long enough to allow her some sleep. She kept thinking about Peeta and the painting; it still felt like an odd dream. No matter how in love Peeta was with her, it still warmed her heart at the realization that he could remember her from way back when.

She sat up in bed and looked over at the bedside digital clock. It was 5:00 in the morning, right on the dot. She turned her head toward the window and although it was still dark, she knew light would be creeping in at any second. She threw the thick covers off of her and stood to her feet, growing weak at the knees.

Her body was exhausted, but it was pointless trying to make another attempt at sleep. She slowly made her way into the bathroom located in her room and snapped the light on. It was ridiculously bright and she squinted her eyes. She stood in the mirror and frowned at her appearance. Baggy eyes, tangled hair, chapped lips... she wondered how Peeta found this attractive.

Then, she stopped herself. Why did she all of a sudden care about what people thought of her, especially Peeta? It scared her a bit. She instinctively walked over to the glassed shower and turned on the dial, allowing the small space to heat up. She then walked back out into the room and retrieved a pair of khaki pants and a dark green tank top, along with clean undergarments and a towel.

She walked back into the bathroom and sighed satisfyingly at the steam that was already accelerating around the bathroom. She tore her clothes off and stepped into the shower, stepping directly under the faucet. She allowed the hot water to flow down her body, rinsing away any trace of the outdoors.

She stayed in the shower for about a half hour, repeatedly rinsing her body as an excuse to stay in longer. She hopped out and dried herself, replacing the towel with a fluffy blue robe that was waiting on her bed when she moved into the village. She looked back into the mirror and looked over her drenched hair. She usually let it air dry, but for some reason, she didn't feel like accompanying Peeta with a tangled web of hair.

She grabbed a brush from the already stocked cabinet. She began brushing through her hair in the way that her hairstylists showed her. For about fifteen minutes, she continued the routine until her hair was free of tangles. She allowed the rest to air dry and put on her clothes.

She walked downstairs and came in contact with her younger sister, Primrose. It couldn't have been past 6 am, so she was confused as to why Prim would be awake.

"Prim?" Katniss asked, joining her sister at the breakfast table. Prim looked up at Katniss with her crystalline blue eyes and smiled brightly.

"I was hungry," she said, biting into a roll of bread. Katniss looked down at the bread and narrowed her eyes.

"Where did you get that?" she asked. Prim pointed her tiny finger in the direction of the island where a basket of golden rolls sat. Katniss walked over to the basket and took one out, taking a bite of it. They were fresh.

"Did Peeta bring these over?" Katniss asked once she had swallowed. Prim nodded.

"He brought them over about 20 minutes ago! Just in time, too. I heard you in the shower so I roamed down here for some breakfast. He was waiting at the back door when I came down here," Prim explained. That meant that Peeta had most likely been awake for awhile as well. She pondered the thought of taking a trip to his house as she finished her bread roll.

"Prim, I'll be back," Katniss announced, walking over to where her hunting boots sat by the door.

"Where are you going?" the blonde haired girl asked. Katniss hesitated before wrapping her hand around the door knob.

"To visit Peeta for a bit," she said casually. Prim's eyes flickered in amusement as she made a shape of a heart with her hands.

"Oooooh, Katniss," Prim taunted.

"Oh, stop," Katniss said, laughing lightly. "I'll be back soon."

With that, she exited the house and closed the door quickly after her. The sky was a dark shade of blue, the morning dew thick in the air. She trotted down the walkway of her house, her eyes set on Peeta's back door. She could see a bright light on in the kitchen of their house, and she was hoping that when she knocked on the door, Peeta would be the one to answer.

She came in contact with the glassed door and peeked through the slightly tinted windows. She noticed someone in a white apron moving around the oven, but she couldn't quite make out who it was. She hesitantly knocked on the door, returning her hand by her side abruptly. She didn't understand why she was so nervous, but she undoubtedly was.

She noticed the figure jump from surprise, poking his tall figure upright. Definitely not Peeta. He walked over to the door and opened it, giving her a surprised smile. It was his older brother, Rye. She noticed him from that day when they returned from the arena to their families.

"What brings you here so early, Katniss?" Rye asked curiously. Katniss was at loss for words. She wasn't expecting to be greeted by Rye, or anyone else but Peeta.

"Uh... is Peeta awake?" Katniss asked, her eyes unknowingly lingering into their house.

"Oh yeah, he's just showering up. Now that I remember, he _did _say something about you coming over today. Just, not so soon..." Rye commented, giving her a light chuckle. Katniss forced an awkward smile as he led her into the house.

"Sorry about that. My little sister had told me that Peeta brought over some bread so I figured that if he was awake, I might as well come over now," Katniss remarked, taking a seat at the island. Rye laughed as he removed some cinnamon buns from the hot oven.

"Don't be sorry! We could use an extra hand. The reason why we're all up so early is because there's a bake sale going on down at the bakery. Mom, Dad and Brandon are already down there and they're selling out pretty quickly. They sent Peeta and I back here to bake some more goods, and Peeta's been up since 4 am. I told him to shower up because he was sweating bullets," Rye explained, quickly stuffing the oven with numerous trays of dough. Katniss looked around the kitchen counters at the many pastries. Her mouth watered instantly as she spotted some cheese buns off in the corner.

"So _this _is what Peeta meant by stopping by to pick up a cookie," Katniss said, returning her eyes on Rye. He shrugged and walked over to a tray of chocolate cookies, packing them into a plastic bag. Katniss stared off into space, the awkward silence growing thick. She was relieved when she heard thuds coming down the steps.

"Rye!" she heard Peeta call out, but he was still coming down the stairs.

"The hell do you want, little bro?" Rye responded playfully. Peeta walked into the kitchen and paused instantly when he saw Katniss. His eyes lit up momentarily when he noticed that her hair was down today, instead of in her usual braid. He loved it when she wore her hair down. She smiled lightly at the sight of him and stood up, waiting for him to say something. He simply couldn't. She was dressed in khaki pants that complimented her curvacious body along with a green tank top that brought out her piercingly gray eyes. He wondered how something so plain could appear so radiant on a human being; something only Katniss Everdeen was capable of pulling off.

"Morning," he said breathlessly, praying that his cheeks weren't as scarlet as they felt.

"Morning," she responded, standing awkwardly in the same position. Peeta demanded his feet to push forward as he stopped in front of her, taking a seat on the stool that was beside hers. She mirrored his action, settling down in her seat once again.

"Why are you awake so early?" Peeta wondered, noting that it was around 6:15 am.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night. I got out of bed around 5," Katniss responded, sighing tiredly. Peeta could see the light circles under her eyes from sleep deprivation, but it didn't make her any less beautiful to him. "Prim told me that you brought over some bread." Peeta gave her a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah, uh, I had been baking all morning and there were a few rolls left over. I saw the kitchen light on in your house so I thought I'd bring them over," Peeta told her. She nodded thankfully.

"They were delicious," she complimented. He stared into her eyes as his chest began to pound rapidly. Compliments from her were like a gift from God; they meant the world to him. They were music to his ears. Katniss noticed his mesmerizing stare, but couldn't bring herself to look away. The only thing that broke their gaze was when Rye cleared his throat noisily. They tore their eyes away from each other and shot a surprised glance at Rye, noticing that his eyes watched theirs carefully.

"If you two are done staring each other down..." Rye said, giving them his signature chuckle. Katniss and Peeta both knew that their cheeks were flushed at the comment. "We have some dough to knead!" Rye clapped his hands together excitedly and motioned toward a huge clump of tan dough that sat in a round bowl.

"What are we making?" Katniss asked.

"Sugar cookies. They're the last thing we have to make before we return to the bakery. By the time we get these rolled up and sprinkled with sugar, those lemon cookies should be ready to be taken out," Rye instructed, handing each of them a pair of plastic gloves. Katniss was wary about baking, because she had absolutely no experience in that area. Peeta noticed the expression on her face and gave her a little nudge.

"It's okay, I'll show you how to do it," he reassured as they walked behind the counter to stand next to Rye.

"I'll go pack up the rest of the pastries," Rye noted, excusing himself. Peeta stood closer to Katniss so that their arms brushed against each other.

"First, we have to knead the dough to make sure it's nice and fluffy," Peeta said, tearing the thick chunk in half and placing one half on Katniss' side of the table. She watched as Peeta sprinkled flour on the table before slamming his chunk of dough over it. He then powdered his hands lightly with the flour and began running his fingers through the thick dough. Katniss hadn't even touched hers yet. Peeta peeked over at her and snickered.

"Don't laugh at me," she snapped, instantly muting him. He replaced his snicker with a comforting smile and stared at her questionably.

"Do you need help?" he asked softly. She took a deep breath before nodding slowly. She didn't want to admit that she was completely oblivious to anything to do with baking, because it was quite embarrassing. He smirked and stood behind her, slowly wrapping his hands around her wrists and guiding her hands to the dough. He inched his lips to her ear and Katniss could feel his hot breath hovering over it.

"Take the flour," he whispered. She hesitantly grabbed the flour and sprinkled it on the counter as he did seconds earlier. "Good," he said. "Now get some flour on your hands," he whispered again. For some reason, the intensity of him being so close gave her soothing shivers. She did as she was told and got her hands nice and floury. He then inched his hands to lay atop hers, placing their hands in the dough. His body was flush against hers, and she could feel his warmth against her body. He began to guide her fingers through the dough, showing her exactly how kneading was supposed to feel. After a few minutes of this, he slowly pulled away. She almost frowned at the loss of his body pressed against hers.

"Thanks," she whispered, continuing to knead the dough as he showed her. He smiled and finished his kneading, tearing the dough and rolling them into tiny balls. Katniss mirrored his action and after a while, they had a full tray of cookies. Peeta hurried over to the oven and stuffed replaced the tray of lemon cookies with the sugar cookies, closing it quickly. Katniss watched after him and smirked at the streak of flour that decorated his pants.

"And you just took a shower, what a shame," Katniss laughed as Peeta stood upright. He narrowed his eyes confusedly and watched as her eyes lingered down to the stain on his pants. He smiled cheekily and walked over to the dish towel, wiping his pants clean.

He then grabbed a chocolate cookie from one of the bags that Rye had packed up and walked up to Katniss, holding it out to her.

"Well, I _did _promise you a cookie," he smirked. She grabbed the cookie from his hands and took a bite, sighing of satisfaction. The warm chocolate chips burst in her mouth, shooting chocolaty sensations around her taste buds. Something only the Mellark bakery cookies could do.

"It was worth it," she said quietly, staring up at him through lidded eyes. There it was again. Another compliment that left knots in Peeta's stomach.

"Glad you like it. Just wait until you taste your own," Peeta said, motioning toward the oven. Katniss smiled shyly and looked over at Rye, who was watching them with a smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"In the mean time..." Katniss trailed off, powdering her finger with flour. Peeta watched her carefully and slowly realized what her plan was. She trailed her finger down his face, leaving a streak of flour across his cheek. He gave her a devilish grin and lunged for her. She shrieked playfully and made an attempt to run. Peeta latched onto her waist from behind, stopping her in her tracks.

"What was that?" Peeta asked tauntingly, causing her to laugh breathlessly. It made Katniss feel good to laugh like that. For once, she was allowed some fun instead of nothing but work. Another thing out of many that only Peeta Mellark could _truly_ give her.

**Author's Note: I hope you guys like how I ended it, so please leave me a review? xoxo.(:**


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